In recent years, a liquid-crystal display (LCD) has been widely used as a display monitor of a liquid-crystal television receiver, a notebook personal computer, a car navigation apparatus, or the like. This liquid-crystal display is classified into various display modes (types) in accordance with molecular array (alignment) of liquid-crystal molecules included in a liquid-crystal layer sandwiched between substrates. For example, a TN (Twisted Nematic) mode on which liquid-crystal molecules are aligned to be twisted in a state in which a voltage is not applied is well known as one of the display modes. On the TN mode, the liquid-crystal molecules have a positive dielectric anisotropy, that is, a characteristic that a dielectric constant of the liquid-crystal molecules in a long-axis direction is higher than that in the short-axis direction. Therefore, the liquid-crystal molecules have a structure in which an alignment direction of the liquid-crystal molecules is sequentially rotated in a plane parallel to a substrate surface to be aligned perpendicularly to the substrate surface.
On the other hand, a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode on which the liquid-crystal molecules are aligned perpendicularly to the substrate surface in a state in which a voltage is not applied has attracted attention. On the VA mode, the liquid-crystal molecules have a negative dielectric anisotropy, that is, a characteristic that the dielectric constant of the liquid-crystal molecules in the long-axis direction is lower than in the short-axis direction. Thus, a wider viewing angle can be provided as compared with the TN mode. The liquid-crystal display on the VA mode has a configuration in which, when a voltage is applied, the liquid-crystal molecules aligned perpendicularly to the substrate react to fall down in parallel with the substrate due to the negative dielectric anisotropy, to thereby cause light to transmit therethrough. However, the liquid-crystal molecules aligned perpendicularly to the substrate fall down in random directions, and hence the alignment of the liquid-crystal molecules is disturbed by voltage application, which causes deterioration of a response characteristic to a voltage.
In view of this, various methods for regulating the alignment of the liquid-crystal molecules during voltage application have been proposed. For example, an MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) method, a PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) method, or a technique using an optical alignment film has been proposed. In the MVA method, alignment control is performed by using a slit or rib (protrusion) while providing a high viewing angle. Other than this, a structure (also called fine-slit structure) has been recently proposed. In this structure, a plurality of fine slits are provided in an electrode (specifically, pixel electrode) formed on one substrate, and an electrode (specifically, opposed electrode) formed on the other substrate is set to be a so-called solid electrode without slits. However, there is a problem in that light transmittance is lowered in the fine-slit structure. It is because a slit formed of minute line and space has a portion on which the electric field is not applied, and, in addition, the alignment state of the liquid-crystal molecules takes a twist structure in the vicinity of edges of the line during voltage application.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2014-095783 has disclosed a technology for solving such a problem, that is, a technology of forming a plurality of fine slits and a plurality of concave and convex portions in a pixel electrode (hereinafter, referred to as “first electrode”).